Augustus

Denarius · Silver

RIC I² 275A

Obverse

Head of Octavian, bare, right; behind, lituus

Reverse

Crocodile standing, right

Historical Note

The standing crocodile commemorates the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. Egypt was the wealthiest and most strategically vital province in the empire. Augustus treated it as a personal estate, barring senators from visiting without his permission — a unique constitutional arrangement that underlined how central Egypt was to his power.